The City of Alexandria is announcing a Call for Artists for the Charles Hamilton Houston Memorial, which will be located at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. The City will conduct the search for qualified applicants through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). The anticipated installation date of the Charles Hamilton Houston Memorial is April 2011.

The purpose of the project is to honor and memorialize Charles Houston and to recognize the historical importance of the former Parker-Gray High School, Alexandria’s first African-American high school. The project's overarching theme is education and civil rights.

Artists or design teams interested in applying to the RFQ are encouraged to register with the City of Alexandria's e-procure system at http://eprocure.alexandriava.gov/bso. Applications may be submitted online, by postal mail or in person. The deadline for applications is October 1, 2009, at 4 p.m. EDT. Three finalists will each receive an honorarium of $2,000 to submit a complete proposal. Please refer to the RFQ for complete details.

All inquires regarding the RFQ should be directed to Dominic Lackey, City of Alexandria Procurement Department, by calling 703.838.4946, ext. 600, faxing to 703.838.6493 or e-mailing dominic.lackey@alexandriava.gov. Please reference the solicitation number and title on the fax or e-mail.

The memorial artwork will be funded with private donations. To make a contribution to the Memorial, please send a check, in any amount, payable to the City of Alexandria (note “Charles Houston Public Art Project” in the memo line) to: Charles Hamilton Houston Memorial; Attention: Alisa Carrel, Director, Office of the Arts; 1108 Jefferson Street; Alexandria, VA 22314.